Machines for inserting paper sheets into envelopes

ABSTRACT

MACHINE FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS AND LIKE ENCLOSURES INTO ENVELOPES IN WHICH ENVELOPES ARE FED SINGLY BY A FIRST CONVEYOR SYSTEM FROM A BULK SUPPLY STATION TO AN INSERTING STATION PAST MEANS WHICH OPEN AND MOISTEN THE GUM ON THE ENVELOPE FLAP, IN WHICH ONE OR TWO SEPARATE INSERTS ARE LIKEWISE FED SINGLY BY FURTHER CONVEYOR SYSTEMS FROM RESPECTIVE BULK SUPPLY STATIONS TO SAID INSERTING STATION AT WHICH THEY ARE GIVEN A BOWED SHAPING, TRANSVERSE TO THE INSERTION DIRECTION BY CONVEYOR ROLLER MEANS WHICH NOT ONLY ROTATE TO PROPEL THE INSERTS BUT ALSO SWING BODILY TOWARDS THE ENVELOPE MOUTH WHICH IS OPENED BY MECHANICAL FINGERS AND A JET OF COMPRESSED AIR, THE INSERTING STATION INCLUDING A TILTING TABLE WHICH OPERATES TO DIRECT EACH FILLED ENVELOPE THROUGH A PAIR OF FLAP CLOSING AND SEALING ROLLERS TO A DELIVERY STATION.

March 9, 1971 F. R. BoNscH 3,568,401

MACHINES Foa INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INT0 ENvELoPEs Filed July s, -1968 A -5 sheets-sheet 1 F. R. BoNsCH Match '9, 1,971

MACHINES FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INTO ENVELOPES 5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed July 8, 1968 F. R. BONSCH March 9, 1971 MACHINES FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INTO ENVELOPES Filed July 8, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 9, 19.71 F. R. BoNscH 3,568,401

MACHINES FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INTO ENVELOPES F. R. BONSCH March 9, 1971 MACHINES FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INTO ENVELOPES Filed July 8. 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /A//fm/me Hrw/5.

United States Patent O 3,568,401 MACHINES FOR INSERTING PAPER SHEETS INTO ENVELOPES Francois Rodolphe Bonsch, London, England, assignor to Business Aid Inventions Limited, London, England Filed July 8, 1968, Ser. No. 743,187

Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 7, 1967,

31,510/ 67 Int. Cl. B65b 5 00, 43/26 U.S. Cl. 53--186 29 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Machine for inserting paper sheets and like enclosures into envelopes in which envelopes are fed singly by a first conveyor system from a bulk supply station to an inserting station past means which open and moisten the gum on the envelope ap, in which one or two separate inserts are likewise fed singly by further conveyor systems from respective bulk supply stations to said-in serting station at which they are given a bowed shaping, transverse to the insertion direction by conveyor roller means which not only rotate to propel the inserts but also swing bodily towards the envelope mouth which is opened by mechanical fingers and ajet of compressed air, the inserting station including a tilting ta-ble which operates to direct each lled envelope through a pair of flap closing and sealing rollers to a delivery station.

This invention relates to machines for inserting paper sheets, cards and like enclosures into envelopes and more particularly', although not exclusively, to machines by which one or more separate paper sheets or cards, hereinafter called inserts are inserted into an envelope and the latter then sealed in readiness for posting. The insert or inserts for each envelope may be pre-folded or one or more paper sheets may be folded one or more times before insertion by folding means attached to and synchronised with the machine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine construction which, while capable of ready and quick adaptation to different operational conditions, is nevertheless comparatively simple and consequently less expensive than known machines of comparable work capacity.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, at the point of delivery of each insert into the opened mouth of the receptive envelope the insert is caused to assume a bowed shape, transversely to the delivery direction, with the two side edges which are destined to lie adjacent the side edges of the envelope, directed towards the inner surface of the front wall of the envelope while the mid-region of the insert remains spaced away from such front wall. This avoids risk of the leading edge of the insert coming into fouling engagement with any part of the mid-region of the said front envelope wall which may have, for example, an edge of a window opening or the edge .of a separate transparent window panel secured by adhesive on the inner surface of the front wall of the envelope.

Another feature of the invention is concerned with the provision of means for opening its mouth to a condition where its opposing front and back wall surfaces are widely separated to form a receiving pocket for the insert or inserts by means including a jet of compressed air which is preferably also used subsequently to close the envelope mouth again upon the delivered insert or inserts prior to closure and sealing of the envelope flap.

A further feature of the invention concerns an improved arrangement for ensuring full entry of the insert ICC or inserts into the opened envelope by arranging that the delivered insert or inserts is/ are fed into the opened mouth of the envelope by passage through the nip between two parallel rollers or equivalent means which are caused both to rotate to propel the insert or inserts passing therebetween and also to move bodily along a, conveniently, curved path towards the envelope mouth while the trailing end of the insert or inserts is/are still gripped therebetween. By this means such pair of rollers may be maintained at a postion well clear of the envelope mouth during initial feeding-in of the insert and then be repositoned immediately adjacent the envelope mouth so as to be effective to move the insert or inserts right into the envelope in the final stage of insertion.

Yet another feature of the invention concerns the formation of the feeder means for withdrawing both envelopes and inserts from respective bulk supplies as separate units which are readily detachable and interchangeable, between two or more alternative positions on the machine frame. In a preferred form a sheet folding unit is also provided, such folding unit being arranged for attachment to the machine instead of an insert feeder unit and the latter being arranged for attachment to such folder unit. Thus a sheet feeding unit may be attached directly to the main body of the machine to deal with inserts which have been prefolded or which do not need folding. Alternatively, a folding unit may be at- Y tached in the same position and the feeding unit mounted on such folding unit whereby the inserts are both fed and folded. Another similar feeding unit is employed for applying the envelopes while a further feeding -nnit with or without an associated folding unit, may be attached at a second insert position to put two inserts into each envelope. Such feeding and folding units can also be used on another separate sheet handling device for performing a feeding or a feeding and folding function without insertion into an envelope.

The above and other features of the invention will be better understood from the following description of one particularly constructional embodiment which will now be given by way of illustrative example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of the machine from the delivery end;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, taken in the direction of the arrow II, FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View of the side of the machine opposite that seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken in a vertical plane between the side plates of the machine and, again, looking in the direction of arrow II, FIG. l;

IFIG. 5 is a partially developed plan taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a main framework 10 including a pair of spaced-apart vertical and parallel side plates 11, 12 in which most of the rotatable shafts and the like are journalled. All of the mechanism, such as gear wheels, control cams and associated linkage means, concerned with the timed operation of different parts of the machine are arranged on the outer sides of said side plates 1-1, 12 for ease of assembly and subsequent maintenance and adjustment, the resultant clear space between the two side plates being used to accommodate power drive means, such as one or more electric motors, for operating the mechanism and air pumping means for supplying compressed air used to perform certain operations as hereinafter described. One motor, that for driving the various mechanism parts, is shown at 13 (FIG. 4) and includes a speed reducing gear box whose output spindle is in geared connection with a main, transversely arranged, drive shaft 14. The machine 3 comprises an envelope input station 15, a first insert input station 16, an optional, second insert input station 17 and a final insertion and delivery station 18.

At the envelope input station 15, the envelopes E are stacked, with their flaps closed and facing upwardly and lying at the trailing edge, in an inclined chute 20 from which the envelopes are delivered singly to the machine by feeder means 21.

The feeder means 21 comprises a separate unit having a pair of parallel rollers 22, 23 of which the upper roller 22 is journalled in side plates 24. The lower roller 23 is free running and adjustable in spacing from the upper roller 22 by means of screw-adjusted roller arm 25. The upper roller 22 is in frictional drive connection with a stack holding roller 26 carried in a rockable, gravity urged, cradle 27. Such upper roller 22 is arranged to be driven intermittently in the feed direction from an oscillating gear sector 28 (FIG. 2) through a pinion 30 which is coupled to the spindle of the roller 22 through a unidirectional drive coupling which allows the roller 22 to continue to rotate in the forward feed direction while the sector 28 returns during its oscillation cycle. The gear sector 28 is oscillated to initiate the withdrawal of the top envelope of the stack, once per operation cycle of the machine, through a lever arm system 31 driven by a cam 32 in geared drive connection with the drive shaft 14.

Each envelope, as it emerges from between the rollers 22, 23, is fed with its flap closed and facing upwardly and disposed at the trailing edge of the envelope, along a path which is inclined slightly downwardly, between a pair of constantly rotating friction drive rollers 33, 34. The lower roller 34 is associated with the rearward sprockets of an endless chain system 35 having feed abutments 36 by which the delivered envelope is engaged and conveyed toward the insertion station 18. The system 35 is driven in timed manner by gear train 29 (FIG. 3) from the main drive shaft 14.

As the envelope E leaves the system 35 over a fixed feed plate 37, its leading edge passes beneath a transverse blade 38 which is, at this time, lifted to the chain-dotted line position shown. The blade 38 is controlled by cam and lever means 39 (FIG. 3) operated in timed manner from the drive shaft 14, so as to be lowered immediately after the leading edge of the envelope has passed thereunder whereby it then engages, lifts and then folds back the iiap E1 of the envelope (see particularly, FIG. 5 This iiap opening action is assisted by an appropriately directed blast of compressed air from a jet 40. The ap E1, when thus opened, trails behind the' rest of the envelope E.

The envelope E then passes between a further pair of parallel drive rollers 41, 42 of which the lower one 42 is continuously driven from the shaft 14 and the upper one 41 is carried by swinging arms 43 to be gravity controlled. From between these rollers 41, 42 the envelope E passes over another fixed feed plate `44, and across a gap 45 between the plate 44 and another fixed platel 46. Above and in alignment with the gap 45, is a transverse nap-damping roller 47 mounted at the free ends of rock arms 48 which are cam-controlled by means 49, FIG. 3, from the drive shaft 14 whereby said damping roller 47 can be raised and lowered out of and into contact with the surface of a moistening drum l50 which is continuously rotated from the shaft 14 by means of a gear train and which dips at its lower region into a water reservoir 51. The ap damping roller 47 is so controlled that, except during passage of the moving envelope E beneath it, it projects downwardly through the gap 45 and rests upon the upper surface of the drum 50 and is accordingly wetted thereby. Such roller 47 is arranged to be lifted immediately prior to the arrival of the envelope E and until the trailing flap E1 of the latter is immediately below it whereupon the cam controlled mechanism lowers the now-wetted ap damping roller 47 on to the iiap E1 only of the envelope so as to moisten the gummed area thereof.

After passage through such ap moistening means, the envelope E is further propelled forwardly by friction roller couples 52, 53 and `54, 55, to the insertion station 18 at which it comes to rest upon an insertion plate 56 pivotally mounted upon side pivots 57 for rocking movement. At this time of arrival of the envelope, the table is downwardly inclined as shown in full lines in FIG. 4 to lie in alignment with the direction of envelope arrival. The final rest position of the envelope on such insertion plate 56 is determined by one or more stop fingers 58 which are adjustable to accommodate different envelope sizes. In the envelope rest position the tip of the envelope fiap remains held between the rollers 54, 55 whose position, relative to the plane then occupied by the plate 56, is such as slightly to depress and thus bend back the envelope flap, thereby to provide clear access to the envelope mouth.

When the envelope is thus positioned at the insertion plate 56, two mouth-opening fingers 85, carried at the ends of swinging arms 86, are moved from the rearward, full line, position to the forward, dotted line, position (FIG. 4), by cam means 59 (FIG. 3) operated from shaft 14, thereby to enter between and separate the front (lower) and back (upper) wall parts of the envelope mouth.

Simultaneously a further air blast from a jet 60 is caused, by means controlled from the drive shaft 14, to be directed at a slight angle into such slightly opened mouth of the envelope. This air jet causes the envelope mouth to be fully opened with its opposing front (lower) and rear (upper) walls widely spaced apart from one another in readiness to receive the insert or inserts.

At the first insert input station 16 the inserts 1 which, in the particular example shown, are in the form of unfolded paper sheets, rest in an inclined chute 20- and are fed singly by feeder means 21.

The unit, including `such feeder means, is identical with that used at the envelope input station 15 and corresponding parts have `been given the same reference characters. The gear sector 28 (see FIG. 2) of this particular unit is operated either by a cam 61 on the same shaft as the cam 32 through cam follower and lever arm system 62 as shown or, alternatively, from another cam driven by shaft 14 as will be described later.

The insert sheets 1 are fed to a buckle folder unit 63 comprising a plurality of detachable fold plate sections 64 and co-operating fold rollers '65. The folder unit is driven from the main drive shaft 1'4 through a train of gearwheels 66 (see lFIG. 2) and is so constructed that it can be fitted to the main framework 10 instead of a feeder unit, the latter being then fitted to the folder unit as shown. In this way inserts which are already folded or do not need folding can be handled merely by dispensing with the folder unit and fitting the feeder unit in its place. When the feeder unit 21 alone is used, its gear sector 28 is coupled by a suitable lever arm system to a cam-follower lever 87 controlled by a cam on shaft 14 instead of to the lever arm system 62, This is necessary on account of the difference in timing due -to the absence of the folding steps.

From the folding unit 63 (or from the feeder unit 21 if used alone) each insert 1 passes over a stationary guide plate 67 and between a pair of rollers 69, 70 constantly driven through the gear train 66. A conveyor chain system 71 having feed abutments 72 is associated with roller 70 and serves to move the insert along a downwardly inclined path which overlies and eventually meets the envelope path in the immediate vicinity of the opened envelope mouth. While reaching this position the insert passes beneath a pair of transversely spaced separating and holding fingers 88 pivoted upon a fixed transverse rod 90. These fingers are accommodated in gapped regions of the upper roller 69.

The conveyor system 71 is so driven in timed manner from the drive shaft 14 that, by the feed abutments 72, each insert sheet 1 is fed at a chosen instant after the arrival of an envelope on the plate 56 into the nip of a further feed roller system 73 which, as shown more clearly in FIG. 5, comprises an upper shaft 74 carrying an inner pair of spaced rollers 75 and an outer pair of spaced discs 76, the latter being of larger diameter than the rollers 75. The shaft 74 is carried by swinging arms which are pivotally mounted on the frame plates 11, 12 at 78 (see FIG. 2) and controlled by cam 80 through lever system 81 to rock between the position shown in full and dotted lines in FIG. 4. The inner rollers 75 are opposed by further small rollers 82 carried upon a spindle 83 itself rotatably mounted at the free ends of lever arms 84 pivoted on the arms 77 and spring urged towards the related rollers 75. By such arrangement, and as seen more clearly in FIG. 5, the insert 1 is caused to be bowed slightly upwardly at its mid region, as viewed transversely to its direction of movement into the opened mouth of the envelope. By such upward bowing, the insert contacts the surface of the lower (front-forming) wall of the envelope interior only by its opposite side edges and is prevented from any fouling engagement with, for example, an unsecured or deflected edge of a transparent window panel in such front envelope wall. Further stationary guide lingers adjacent the side edges of the moving insert, may be provided to assist in depressing the advancing forward corners of the insert into contact with the upward facing surfaces of the lower (front wall) of the envelope and thereby prevent such corners fouling the upper edge of the opened envelope. mouth.

The above-mentioned roller couple 75/82 is cam controlled initially to be in the retracted, full line, position well clear of the envelope mouth. The shaft 74 is arranged to be driven to propel each insert into the opened envelope mouth and when such insertion is partially completed, the roller couple itself is moved bodily forwards towards the envelope with the insert still gripped therein whereby such insert is positively conveyed right into the envelope. The roller couple 75/ 82 is then returned to its normal retracted position in readiness for the final envelope sealing and delivery step.

The arrangements shown include an optional second insert input station 17. This comprises a feeder means 21 identical in form with those used at the first insert input station 1'6 and the envelope input station 15. This feeder means is mounted upon the main framework and its sector gear 28 is operated in the appropriate timed manner from a cam driven from the main drive shaft 14 through a lever arm system 91.

=Each delivered second insert I2, often in the form of a card, passes 4through a pair of constantly rotating rollers 92, 93 to be deposited on top of the gravity fingers 88 which overlie the first insert I. Coincident with the projection of the second insert I2 on to the fingers 88, further temporary holding fingers `94 lying in the same vertical planes as the respective fingers 88 and secured to a rock shaft 95 controlled from the drive shaft 14 by cam and lever means 89, FIG. 3, are lowered to hold the second insert I2 in position until it, and the underlying first insert I are both picked up and forcibly propelled into the envelope by the abutments 72 of the chain conveyor 71. Further light `gravity stops `96 pivotally mounted on cross spindle 97 assist in preventing premature displacement of either insert before the correct timing instant defined by the movement of the feed abutments 72.

Envelope sealing and delivery, with either one or two inserts, is effected by tilting of the insertion plate 56 about its pivot axis 57 by cam controlled means 99, FIG. 3, driven from the shaft 14. The plate 56 is turned through the horizontal to the opposite inclination as shown in chain dotted lines in FIG. 4. Such reversed inclination causes the envelope flap to become freed from between the lightly pressed but constantly rotated rollers 54, 55,

and then deflected towards its proper closed down position by its movement past the roller 55. The air jet 60 is now effective to press the back of the envelope flat upon the inserts therein and the envelope flap into contact with the enevelope body. At the same time the reversed inclination of the table tips the envelope, its flap now leading, towards the nip of a pair of parallel and constantly rotating rolls 100, 101. In passing between these rolls, the envelope fiap is pressed firmly into sealing contact with the back of the envelope body. The now-sealed envelope is then caused, by guide plate 102, to be deflected around the lower roll 100 so as to be delivered, front or address side up, into a tray or equivalent means located at the end of the machine opposite that to which the envelope was initially fed in.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for inserting paper sheets and like articles into envelopes which comprises an envelope input supply station, an insert input supply station, an insertion station including an evelope support surface, first coveyor means for conveying envelopes singly from said envelope input supply station to said insertion station, each conveyed envelope being deposited upon said envelope support surface with the front wall of the envelope facing and in contact with said support surface, mouth opening means for opening the envelope mouth and spacing the rear wall of the envelope from said front wall, second conveyor means for conveying inserts from said insert supply station to said insertion station and insert insertion means for propelling said conveyed insert into the opened mouth of said envelope, said insertion means including bowing means for imparting to said insert a shaping which is bowed along its direction of movement into the envelope mouth to bring the opposite side edges of the insert into contact with the inner surface of the front wall of the envelope and to space the bowed mid region of the insert away from said front wall of the envelope during the insertion movement.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said mouth opening means comprises a jet of compressed air directed between the front and rear walls of the envelope.

3. A machine according to claim 1 in which said insertion means comprises, in the immediate vicinity of the envelope mouth at said insertion station, two parallel roller members carried by pivotal support means which alloW movement of said rollers bodily along a path towards and away from the envelope mouth and further means for causing at least one of said parallel roller members to be positively rotated during its swinging movement towards said envelope mouth thereby to convey and simultaneously propel an insert gripped between said parallel roller members into the opened envelope,

4. A machine according to claim 3 in which said parallel roller members comprise axially spaced part of differing diameters for imparting said bowed formation of said insert.

5. A machine according to claim 1 which comprises a main framework housing means constituting said insertion station and said first and second conveyor means and a separate feeder device for detachable connection to said framework to supply inserts to said second conveyor means.

6. A machine according to claim 5 which comprises a detachable and removable sheet folder unit, said sheet folder unit being arranged for mounting on said framework adjacent said second conveyor means and being adapted to receive said detachable feeder device to apply inserts thereto.

7. A machine according to claim 1 which includes a machine drive shaft and in which said first conveyor means includes means for opening and folding back the fiap of an envelope which is fed thereto with said flap initially lying upwardly and at the trailing edge of the conveyed envelope, said opening means including a ap lifting blade disposed transverse to the direction of conveyance of the envelope and means operated from said machine drive shaft for raising and lowering said ap in timed manner to the passage of said envelope whereby said flap is raised to allow the leading edge of the envelope to pass thereunder and is then lowered into contact with the envelope to intercept, lift and then fold the envelope liap backwards.

8. A machine according to claim 7 which includes a jet of compressed air directed into the gap between the envelope and its liap when partially lifted lby said transverse blade.

9. A machine according to claim '7 which includes means for moistening a gummed area of each envelope flap after being lifted and folded back during its passage along said first conveyor means.

10. A machine according to claim 9 in which said ap moistening means comprises a moisture supply drum rotatable in a water reservoir beneath a plane defining the conveyance plane of said envelope, a second moisture applying roller disposed above said plane and mounted in rockable carrier means operated in timed manner from said machine drive shaft whereby said upper roller is lowered into contact with said drum to collect a film of moisture thereon while each envelope is absent from the adjacent region of the conveyance path, is raised to permit the body of the envelope to pass thereunder and is then lowered into contact with the envelope flap only thereby to apply moisture to the gummed region of the latter.

11. A machine according to claim 1 which includes a Isecond insert input station for applying a second input for insertion in said envelope in unison with the first insert.

12. A machine according to claim 11 in which said second insert is arranged to be delivered to overlie the first insert prior to the delivery of both inserts through said bowing means.

13. A machine according to claim 1 in which the envelope support surface at said insertion station comprises a receiving plate upon which the envelope is carried during the insertion operation, said receiving plate being tiltable about a horizontal axis to deliver the filled envelope towards a final discharge means.

14. A machine according to claim `13 in which said discharge means comprise a pair of parallel and constantly driven rollers towards which the envelope with its flap partially returned to closed position is projected whereby said rollers complete the flap closure operation in addition to propelling the filled envelope towards a delivery position.

15. A machine for inserting paper sheets and the like into envelopes which comprises an envelope bulk supply station, an insertion station, first conveyor means for conveying envelopes singly from said envelope bulk supply station to said insertion station, an insert bulk supply station, second conveyor means for conveying inserts singly from said insert bulk supply station to said insertion station, envelope opening means at said insertion station for opening the mouth of said envelope, a pair of opposed roller means adjacent said insertion station said roller pair being rotated to grip and propel each insert from said second conveyor means towards said envelope mouth and said roller pair being also mounted in pivotal supply means by which they may be moved bodily whilst still rotating from a position adjacent said second conveyor means to a position closely adjacent the open mouth of said envelope thereby to project said insert into the pocket of the envelope.

16. A machine according to claim 15 which comprises a separate detachable and removable sheet folder unit, said sheet folder unit being constructed to replace said feeder means at said insert bulk supply station and said feeder means being mountable on said sheet folder unit to supply inserts singly thereto from said insert bulk supply.

17. A machine according to claim 15 in which said insertion station comprises a platform tiltable about an axis transverse to the arrival direction of said envelopes and inserts between a first insert receiving inclination and a second filled-envelope delivery inclination and Va cornpressed air jet operative when said platform is in said first inclination to open the mouth of said envelope on said platform and operative when said platform is in said second inclination to close down the back and the flap of said envelope upon the inserts delivered thereinto.

18. A machine according to claim 15 in which said pair of opposed roller means comprise two parallel roller members each having axially spaced parts of differing diameters for imparting a bowed formation to said insert.

19. A machine in accordance with claim 15 in which said envelope opening means comprise a jet of compressed air directed between the front and rear walls of the envelope.

20. A machine according to claim 1S which comprises a main framewonk housing means constituting said insertion station and said first and second conveyor means and a separate feeder device for detachable connection to said framework to supply inserts to said second conveyor means.

21. A machine according to claim 20 which comprises a detachable and removable sheet folder unit, said sheet folder unit being arranged for mounting on said framework adjacent said second conveyor means and being adapted to receive said detachable feeder device to apply inserts thereto.

22. A machine according to claim 15 which includes a machine drive shaft and in which said first conveyor means includes means for opening and folding back the liap of an envelope which is fed thereto with said liap initially lying upwardly and at the trailing edge of the conveyed envelope, said opening means including a flap lifting blade disposed transverse to the direction of conveyance of the envelope and means operated from said machine drive shaft for raising and lowering said ap in timed manner to the passage of said envelope whereby said flap is raised to allow the leading edge of the envelope to pass thereunder and is then lowered into contact with the envelope to intercept, lift and then fold the envelope flap backwards.

23. A machine according to claim 22 which includes a jet of compressed air directed into the gap between the envelope and its flap when partially lifted by said transverse blade.

24. A machine according to claim 23 which includes means for moistening a gummed area of each envelope iiap after being lifted and folded back during its passage along said lirst conveyor means.

25. A machine according to claim 24 in which said iiap moistening means comprises a moisture supply drum rotatable in a water reservoir beneath a plane defining the conveyance plane of said envelope, a second moisture applying roller disposed above said plane and mounted in rockable carrier means operated in timed manner from said machine drive shaft whereby said upper roller is lowered into contact with said drum to collect a film Vof moisture thereon while each envelope is absent from the adjacent region of the conveyance path, is raised to permit the body of the envelope to pass thereunder and is then lowered into contact with the envelope flap only thereby to apply moisture to the gummed region of the latter.

26. A machine according to claim 15 which includes a second insert bulk supply station for applying a second input for insertion in said envelope in unison with the first insert.

27. A machine according to claim 26 in which said second insert is arranged to be delivered to overlie the first insert prior to the delivery of both inserts through said opposed roller means.

28. A machine according to claim 15 in which said insertion station comprises a receiving plate upon which the envelope is carried during the insertion operation and nal discharge means, said receiving plate being tiltable about a horizontal axis to deliver the filled envelope towards said final discharge means.

29. A machine according to claim 28 in which said final discharge means comprise a pair of parallel and constantly driven rollers towards which the envelope with its flap partially returned to closed position is projected whereby said rollers complete the flap closure operation in addition to propelling the filled envelope towards a delivery position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,384 5/1966 Huck et al. 53--117X 10 Kern 53-188 Boughton 53-188 Bouton 53-188X Wills 53-266 Strother et al, 53-266X Russell 53--383X Clare 53-385X Battersby 271-76 Perrine 271-76X Trenner 271-86X U.S. C1. X.R. 

